At nearly 2000 sq. km Kanha is one of India’s largest national parks. Its dramatic topography and patchwork of varied habitats make it a joy for the casual visitor and naturalist alike. It is the very area which inspired Rudyard Kipling to write his timeless classic ‘The Jungle Book’ and many of the animals that feature in the book are to be found within the reserve.Situated 160 km south-east of jabalpur in the state of Madya Pradesh the park is open from the 1st of November to the 30th of June. It was initially set up in 1955 for the protection of the barasingha, a sub species of the swamp deer that is found nowhere else in the world.

To protect the grassland habitat that the barasingha requires, whole villages were relocated in the 1970’s to avoid encroachment from grazing livestock. Though drastic, this measure was successful and has since been followed in several other parks. The barasingha is not the only animal to benefit from this protection and the park holds probably the most diverse selection of fauna to be found anywhere in India. Star attractions include the massive gaur (Indian bison) the largest of the World’s ungulates, the dhole or wild dog, leopard and of course tigers of which the park holds the second largest population in India at nearly 100 individuals.

Birdlife is rich with nearly 300 species identified and early morning the park is alive withe vibrant bird song.During a safari in Kanha you can travel through a range of habitats from open meadows known as ‘maidans’ where the herbivores congregate, through dense sal forest where a tiger may lurk, right up to the high plateaus which are over 900 metres above sea level. From these high vantage points stunning views across the park can be enjoyed. Trips into the park are strictly by jeep only and elephants are also employed to view tigers that are spotted away from the beaten track. Kanha is exceptionally well set up for tiger tracking and if you stay a few days you have a very good chance of seeing one. However, Kanha is such a wild and beautiful place you are sure to be struck by its charm, and even if you don’t see one you can be fairly sure that one has seen you!

Season:

The cold season ( November - February)Winter is the best season of the year. The day teperature rarely goes over 30°C. November is mildly cold while December - January are the coldest. Since monsoon has recently receded the vegetation is green, but the grass in the meadows turns yellow due to severe frost.

The hot season ( March - Mid June)Summer in Kanha is not very harsh. Though the daytime temperature reaches 40°C in shade, there are no hot winds. rains, if any are sporadic, but it sometimes hails in March - April. This coinsides with the rutting season for Chital(Axis axis). The meadows are filled with dominant stags displaying and courting with the females and fighting rivals for them.

Most of the people prefer to visit Kanha between February & June. A stay of 3-4 days is advisable to get a really good sighting of Kanha's entire range of wildlife.